diff --git a/src/lib/components/VirtualItem.svelte b/src/lib/components/VirtualItem.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ee984279
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/components/VirtualItem.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+  import type {Snippet} from "svelte"
+
+  let {
+    children,
+    root,
+    initiallyVisible = false,
+    estimatedHeight = 48,
+  }: {
+    children: Snippet
+    root?: HTMLElement
+    initiallyVisible?: boolean
+    estimatedHeight?: number
+  } = $props()
+
+  let visible = $state(initiallyVisible)
+  let height = $state(estimatedHeight)
+  let el: HTMLElement | undefined = $state()
+  let hasMeasured = false
+
+  $effect(() => {
+    if (!el) return
+
+    const observer = new IntersectionObserver(
+      ([entry]) => {
+        if (entry.isIntersecting) {
+          visible = true
+        } else {
+          // Measure actual height before hiding content
+          if (el) {
+            const h = el.offsetHeight
+            if (h > 0) {
+              height = h
+              hasMeasured = true
+            }
+          }
+          if (hasMeasured) {
+            visible = false
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      {root: root || null, rootMargin: "1000px 0px"},
+    )
+
+    observer.observe(el)
+    return () => observer.disconnect()
+  })
+</script>
+
+<div bind:this={el}>
+  {#if visible}
+    {@render children()}
+  {:else}
+    <div style:height="{height}px"></div>
+  {/if}
+</div>
diff --git a/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/[h]/+page.svelte b/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/[h]/+page.svelte
index 88bacda8..07bcb254 100644
--- a/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/[h]/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/[h]/+page.svelte
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
   import SpaceSearch from "@app/components/SpaceSearch.svelte"
   import ThunkToast from "@app/components/ThunkToast.svelte"
   import RoomItemAddMember from "@src/app/components/RoomItemAddMember.svelte"
+  import VirtualItem from "@lib/components/VirtualItem.svelte"
   import RoomComposeEdit from "@src/app/components/RoomComposeEdit.svelte"
   import {canEnforceNip70, prependParent, publishDelete} from "@app/core/commands"
   import {
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@
   const shouldProtect = canEnforceNip70(url)
   const membershipStatus = deriveUserRoomMembershipStatus(url, h)
   const at = $derived(parseInt($page.url.searchParams.get("at")!))
+  const shouldVirtualize = $derived(isNaN(at))
 
   const showRoomDetail = () => pushModal(RoomDetail, {url, h})
 
@@ -472,7 +474,7 @@
             <Spinner loading={loadingForward}>Looking for messages...</Spinner>
           </p>
         {/if}
-        {#each elements as { type, id, value, showPubkey, addSpaceBelow } (id)}
+        {#each elements as { type, id, value, showPubkey, addSpaceBelow }, i (id)}
           {#if type === "new-messages"}
             <div
               {id}
@@ -484,6 +486,24 @@
             </div>
           {:else if type === "date"}
             <Divider>{value}</Divider>
+          {:else if shouldVirtualize}
+            <VirtualItem root={element} initiallyVisible={i < 25}>
+              {@const event = value as TrustedEvent}
+              {#if event.kind === ROOM_ADD_MEMBER}
+                <RoomItemAddMember {url} {event} />
+              {:else}
+                <div class="cv">
+                  <RoomItem
+                    {url}
+                    {event}
+                    {replyTo}
+                    {showPubkey}
+                    {addSpaceBelow}
+                    canEdit={canEditEvent}
+                    onEdit={onEditEvent} />
+                </div>
+              {/if}
+            </VirtualItem>
           {:else}
             {@const event = value as TrustedEvent}
             {#if event.kind === ROOM_ADD_MEMBER}
diff --git a/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/chat/+page.svelte b/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/chat/+page.svelte
index 08e40d79..f89a94ed 100644
--- a/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/chat/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/spaces/[relay]/chat/+page.svelte
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
   import SpaceSearch from "@app/components/SpaceSearch.svelte"
   import RoomItem from "@app/components/RoomItem.svelte"
   import RoomItemAddMember from "@src/app/components/RoomItemAddMember.svelte"
+  import VirtualItem from "@lib/components/VirtualItem.svelte"
 
   import RoomCompose from "@app/components/RoomCompose.svelte"
   import RoomComposeEdit from "@src/app/components/RoomComposeEdit.svelte"
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@
   const url = decodeRelay($page.params.relay!)
   const shouldProtect = canEnforceNip70(url)
   const at = $derived(parseInt($page.url.searchParams.get("at")!))
+  const shouldVirtualize = $derived(isNaN(at))
 
   const replyTo = (event: TrustedEvent) => {
     parent = event
@@ -309,7 +311,7 @@
       <Spinner loading={loadingForward}>Looking for messages...</Spinner>
     </p>
   {/if}
-  {#each elements as { type, id, value, showPubkey, addSpaceBelow } (id)}
+  {#each elements as { type, id, value, showPubkey, addSpaceBelow }, i (id)}
     {#if type === "new-messages"}
       <div
         {id}
@@ -321,6 +323,24 @@
       </div>
     {:else if type === "date"}
       <Divider>{value}</Divider>
+    {:else if shouldVirtualize}
+      <VirtualItem root={element} initiallyVisible={i < 25}>
+        {@const event = value as TrustedEvent}
+        {#if event.kind === RELAY_ADD_MEMBER}
+          <RoomItemAddMember {url} {event} />
+        {:else}
+          <div>
+            <RoomItem
+              {url}
+              {event}
+              {replyTo}
+              {showPubkey}
+              canEdit={canEditEvent}
+              onEdit={onEditEvent}
+              {addSpaceBelow} />
+          </div>
+        {/if}
+      </VirtualItem>
     {:else}
       {@const event = value as TrustedEvent}
       {#if event.kind === RELAY_ADD_MEMBER}